Benjamin Moore Paint Colors Matched to Farrow and Ball 2015!

This is something I’ve been dying to do for some time and I’m so excited to share this with you! I’ve taken all 132 paint colors from Farrow and Ball and matched them to the closest color from the Benjamin Moorepaint colors!

Okay. I’m not the first person to do this. There is a pin floating around on pinterest that is the same idea, No one seems to know who did it. It’s certainly a wonderful idea but there are some substantial problems with it.

The colors in almost every case do NOT match! Some are so far off that it’s ridiculous.

The chart is way outdated and doesn’t include at least a dozen new colors and does include some discontinued colors. This new chart is up to date.

The Benjamin Moore colors on the original chart do not have their associated numbers making it more difficult to figure out what bloody fan deck they are in!

I can’t tell you how long I spent on this. I’m sorry, I can’t. You will think that I’m a total nutcase working too hard. But, I really did enjoy this. And please know that each color was scrutinized so carefully that my F&B color card is mutilated beyond repair. Each color was compared with every other color in my five fan decks. Alright. Full disclosure. Two colors, Stone Blue and Drawing Room Blue were matched with the newer Williamsburg collection but that one fan deck decided to go on holiday. So I took a chance with those two colors. My computer is pretty good and they looked dead on.

[NOTES: A few changes. The Williamsburg fan deck came back from vacay and guess what? In the case of Drawing Room Blue, I could not find a reasonable match, however Washington Blue CW 630 is a very nice navy, just a tad lighter than Hague Blue which is not too bad a match.

A better match for Drawing Room Blue is Symphony Blue 2060-10. Symphony is a teensy hair greener, but I think that’s a good thing in this case.

In the Case of Stone Blue, the closest match is Jamestown Blue hc 148. It is lighter and a touch greener. Another great color that is closest is Buckland blue which is bluer and deeper. That’s a great color for a boy’s room.

Also– Bluebell should be 782, not 182 and Hague Blue should not be Black Panther! A better match is Newburg Green HC-158]

The really acidy yellow also had no match, but the one closest to it is still quite bright and saturated.

In some cases where I couldn’t match the color exactly, I went with one very close that I like even better.

Here’s what I would love

If you guys feel so inclined and are on pinterest, please go and find the pin it button (in the middle of the reds) and pin the graphic to one of your boards. Then, you’ll have it for reference. Being a pinner of an original really-good-never-seen-before pin is like buying shares of McDonalds in 1959. :] Please feel free to share the image on other social media platforms as well.

A lot of people prefer to work with Benjamin Moore or their painting contractor prefers it.

In addition, the paint is a lot more expensive than Benjamin Moore. Some people can’t afford to shell out $100 for a gallon of paint. Benjamin Moore Regal Select is about half the price and it is easy to get for most people.

Here’s the graphic!

*** Important note***

The colors on your monitor may be off from the real-life colors. What is pictured is Farrow and Ball’s rendition of their colors. The color matching was done with the real samples from both companies.This is an exercise. It is not meant to disparage Farrow & Ball in any way. I love the company and their paint and recommend it highly. I also love Benjamin Moore. Finally, I cannot promise that the result will be a satisfactory match, so as always please test your colors!

Well… there it is!

Oh, yes. wait. I know. Someone is going to say that Benjamin Moore has all of the formulas for F & B. Well… I can’t vouch for that and quite frankly, I don’t trust it anyway. I think it’s better to go with a color that they already have the recipe for. If anyone does have experience with that, I’d be interested to know if it worked well for you or not.

please feel free to share! *Love your comments! Please note however, that the blog is meant as general advice. In addition, it is not possible to give out specific answers to your interior design and/or paint questions. Thank you for your understanding.

Related

Hi everyone
We have the opposite problem in the UK; Farrow and Ball is expensive, but Benjamin Moore is even more expensive! I love the colours though, so trying to match BM colours that I like to F&B is SOO helpful when I can’t afford the BM colours.ReplyCancel

But there are 3,500+ Benjamin Moore colors and only 131 Farrow and Ball colors. Maybe I’m not understand this, but since you’re using F&B, why do you need to match up Benjamin Moore to what you already have?ReplyCancel

Susan Lopez -June 4, 2017 - 4:59 AM

Hi Laurel and Rachel-

As I commented myself, I’m not very good with colors so I rely on the experts to recommend colors for certain decorating and lighting situations. The vast majority of these recommendation are for Benjamin Moore paints. So for those of us in Europe finding an equivalent color in a brand that we can purchase here is s great thing. I particularly rely on the recommendations for colors that complement certain wood tones best.

If your paint color collections included matches for common European paint suppliers I would have most cetainly purchased it! Thanks for all that you do for us!

I wish that all of the colors were are one or even two fan decks, but they are on all 5 of the fan decks. Otherwise, a good solution would be to get the Benjamin Moore fan decks and then match up the colors yourself. It’s actually quite fun.ReplyCancel

Hello!
What an incredible amount of time and work you’re sharing…such a gift, thank you! I’m searching out an equivalent to the Devol’s Mushroom cabinet color. Any chance you’ve found a match? So appreciate your time, thank you!ReplyCancel

I would need the actual sample of the color to do that and I don’t have that. If you get a sample, you could probably match it up that way or have it custom-matched.ReplyCancel

Isabelle -April 19, 2017 - 9:53 AM

This chart was fantastic! I used it to get samples of the BM paint to see if I liked those colours in various rooms in my house. Once decided, I got BM to match the F&B colors (I had also purchased small samples of F&B to check the matching, much cheaper in small amounts! 😉 ). Some colours are a perfect match, some I loved the nuances in F&B more, but some BM paints were actually winners! For example, I preferred Dark Linen (BM) to Tunsgate Green (F&B) as it’s softer, and doesn’t change as much with the light throughout the day. Thank you for posting this chart! it’s really helpful! For Shadow White, it turned a bit too beige in my house, but not as beige as Tapestry Beige.. closer to Edgecomb Grey maybe (which I would pick now if I could do it over!)

I tried to get the matches as close as possible, of course. The blues in F&B are the most difficult as some are unique. However, in that case, I chose a color that I felt had the essence or in some cases, a color that I like even better. Of course, it is close to the F&B color. The other thing I’ve discovered is that the F&B color cards are NOT consistent!

In addition, the chart that you see is not accurate at all. I had wanted to spend another 40 hours, I could’ve color corrected many of them. But that is how F&B posted their colors, not me.ReplyCancel

Bernard Clark -March 20, 2017 - 12:12 AM

This conversion chart is gold. ANY chance of adding a match F&B Pantalon please?ReplyCancel

Thanks for the advice, but I do know that already Niamh. I have a fan deck for my records, however, I am not doing a chart for the archived colors or offering paint consultations, paid or unpaid. ReplyCancel

Dana Cannon -March 3, 2017 - 2:51 PM

Sherwin Williams has their paint colors cross referenced to Farrow and Ball colors. They aren’t “close matches” of their own colors,but actually custom colors.
I used them for F&B “Light Blue”for my laundry room (gorgeous)and French Gray for our office/mudroom (love it) with “Old White” on the walls and “Lime White” on the ceiling. I also used “Mouse’s Back” on a bench. They are not Sherwin Williams colors, but they have custom matched them. I was really pleased.ReplyCancel

First of all, thank you for all your efforts in matching the FB colors. On a recent trip to England, I fell in love with a room painted in Mouse’s Back. I don’t have a FB store in my state. I was just going to order their (pricey) paint online and cross my fingers that it would look similar, given the differences in rooms. The lower the light, the more the color is supposed to change from a gray to green. I’ll check out Raccoon Hollow first.ReplyCancel

Hey Laurel! This was a tremendous effort, but why don’t you just ask your Benjamin Moore distributor to make the actual F&B colors? That’s what we do. They have most formulas of other manufacturers and can always do a computer match to a F&B chip. Samples can be made to confirm accuracy. We do this all the time when we are doing cabinet refinishing.

In response to Rosanne and general FYI, I purchased F&B samples for Hague Blue, Black Blue, Cornforth White, Ammonite, and Pavilion Gray. I then had the paints “matched” based on the F&B codes to supposed Benjamin Moore colors. None of the colors were similar. Black Blue looked like a muted dark gray, and Hague Blue looked like a washed out Navy. The match for Cornforth White looked like a rosier version of the original while Wimbourne White was much warmer than the blown-out, colder-feeling match. I then returned to the paint store again with painted swatches of the F&B, and they were able to match more accurately (and true to this list provided by Laurel Bern). When I brought them F&B Black Blue, the matched it to BM Midnight (for example). What a run-around; but also important lesson as I would prefer to use an oil-base, semi-glass on some of these!ReplyCancel

Yes, that’s a possibility too, but not all dealers may be able to do that; not sure, maybe I’m wrong. As for computer matching. Never. I made that mistake – once and never again and I have heard that from others as well. It’s just too risky– especially for someone not in the biz.

But someone mixing the paint with a good eye could match up the chips that way. That would work, but the caveat is that they have to be good at it.ReplyCancel

Jeanne -December 6, 2016 - 7:45 PM

This is amazing! What an incredible amount of work. Thank u=you SO much!!!!!!!!ReplyCancel

Renee Mills -December 8, 2016 - 7:53 PM

This is a wonderful guide for those who want a similar color to Farrow and Ball but don’t have the budget for the real deal. Just be careful because this isn’t a fool proof list. I’ve seen some projects become a disaster because color wasn’t tested.BM mixes a gallon at a time and even their own colors can vary from store to store and year to year. I always test the color from my own store before assuming it’s as good a match to this chart. Definitely cant use actual F&B sample pot to test color, fall in love with it nd think it will be the same but cheaper in BM. So different!. This is an awesome guide for “close-ish” colors but I test test test! Nothing worse than paying for labor (or paint at any cost) and make a color mistake. Thats way more costly than the premium I was trying to avoid by matching. I like to Uncomplicate it and buy the color I want In the brand that makes it. good luck!ReplyCancel

You are right, right, right! And Test, test, test is my motto. And even Farrow and Ball colors vary. Or at least their color cards do. And the other thing that some have noticed is that many of the chart colors look way off. But it is Farrow and Ball’s chart!

Some of the colors I actually like better in Benjamin Moore. Thanks for stopping by and stressing how important it is to test the colors–always!ReplyCancel

Thanks so much ELS!!! What a great resource! I’m trying to match paint colors I like with the French version sold by ZOLPAN. My painter did my livingroom in a soft griege and the color is still curing after 6 months and just gets better and better. The paint is great for those that find F&B doesn’t have the range in lighter colours.

While the encycolorpedia doesn’t list this brand, the hex numbers help narrow things down considerably.

That’s probably an archived color. And no, I didn’t do any of them.ReplyCancel

Mandy -October 31, 2016 - 12:46 PM

Good afternoon! Thank you, thank you, thank you for this chart! I used your recommendations for Hague Blue and Teresa’s Green (my painter used BBM exclusively). Do you have a match for any of FB historical colors? I’m specifically looking for no. 219 Mere Green. Thanks in advance!ReplyCancel

You’re welcome. I do not have a chart for FB historical colors. I’m not familiar with it either and they’ve given me everything they have. It’s possible that those are archived colors. I do have a fan deck for those, but am drawing the line with what is currently being published. ReplyCancel

Tiffany -October 3, 2016 - 9:55 PM

Hi Laurel,

I really enjoy your blog!

I thought I’d died and gone to heaven when I found your Benjamin Moore conversions for F&B.
I’m in Canada, any chance you know which BM colour Parma Gray is here?

Hi Laurel,
I’ve used BM for years, but I’m totally a F&B convert because of the gorgeous powdery finish and the saturation of pigment in even the palest colors is AMAZING! Your matching work is really good, but as you’ve said yourself never quite the same. I’ve tried matching – but I had to repaint 2 rooms and the cost of labor to repaint was WAY more expensive than the extra $$$for FB per can – I’d rather be assured I’m getting the Exact color I picked. (BM Aura is $70 now right? Price gap is closing so much for quality paint, why bother risking a match!?!). The color looked good on the “dot” on the can bit it went electric in the all over room- totally lacked the pretty subtlety I loved about the original FB color. Also, I’m so grateful for companies that do good work with color like FB – I mean look how many people enthusiastically want to copy their colors. What about brand loyalty? Don’t they deserve my business after developing such color greatness? Somebody needs to buy it to keep it around – so everybody else can copy it? Sorry, just kind of a bummer for a great company like F&B whose colors are so clearly appreciated. Thanks for your incredible blog – love it!!ReplyCancel

One, computer matching sucks. I don’t recommend it for all of the reasons you stated. But this list is not computer matched, so there should be no neon versions of the color. Of course, one must always test before painting.

Two, in some places like England :] F&B is the cheap(er) paint so the reverse takes place if someone wants a color they don’t make. Someone wrote me recently about that and wanted a match for a BM color!

Three. Regal Select from BM is just as good as Aura IMO and a savings of $20/gallon.

Four. They do deserve your business and brand loyalty! So, disregard this post and stick with what you know and love!ReplyCancel

Gustavo -August 2, 2016 - 4:20 PM

Hello, Laurel. Do you have a match recommendation for FB’s Down Pipe? Please let me know. Love your blog, BTW! Thanks, in advance!ReplyCancel

This is a great resource, thank you. I am doing a reverse look up as I live in Canada and always use BM in Canada. However I am renovating a house in Scotland and there is only one supplier of BM in England and their price for BM is quite a bit more expensive than F&B. I can readily buy F&B so am trying to convert my favourite BM to F&B. Is there a close match for Cloud White by any chance?ReplyCancel

Looking at the chart, Wimborne White would be the closest to Cloud White.ReplyCancel

Dorothy -August 2, 2016 - 10:30 PM

laurel, thanks for the suggestion, however I did try Wimborne White and found it had a strong yellow undertone in daylight but had no colour at all under incandescent light. I abandoned it and am now going to try Wevet. If that is too grey I may chicken out and end up with All White. DorothyReplyCancel

Another option is to mix two colors. While I don’t usually recommend it with Benjamin Moore because they already have too many whites, F&B could use a couple more, perhaps.ReplyCancel

Dorothy -August 3, 2016 - 9:42 AM

Laurel,
I totally agree with you that F&B could do with more whites. I would say this is an area where they are very weak. I am always nervous about mixing colours because of the need to get the proportions exactly right. Thanks for your help. I hope F&B are listening and develop some more whites along the likes of BM’s best sellers.

If you mix the same proportions as your sample, you should be okay. Please remember that even the dye-lot of the paint itself can vary slightly.

But if the plain white is too bright, it’s worth a try. The other option is another brand. I hear that Crown Paint is pretty good and they have a large selection of whites. I am not at all familiar with their colors and don’t have a fan deck, so I can’t help you with a color match.

Hello! I have been working for Farrow & Ball for a while now and have to say the colors on this chart aren’t a very good match. Unfortunately, Benjamin Moore can’t have Farrow & Ball’s formulas for the price they’re at. Something called Titanium Dioxide is what drives paint price and creates saturation of pigment. The reason for Farrow & Ball’s price point is because they do not skimp on this ingredient, which you can get in a range of qualities. Because of this our paint will have an intense saturation and coverage that other brands won’t. I’m also a consumer, so I definitely understand trying to get close for a better price, but having worked here and mystery shopping other paint shops, no one is able to match our pigment. Benjamin Moore has wonderful colors, but if you want a Farrow & Ball color you would really need to get it from them. Hope this helps.ReplyCancel

Thanks for the comment. I agree with everything you say including the colors not matching. Alas, that is actually Farrow and Ball’s chart which doesn’t match, not my interpretation. The colors in real life are excellent matches. Maybe one or two, I goofed, but did discover it later and have made a note about that. Have you compared via card and fan decks?

The other issue I had was that my color cards from F&B didn’t match each other! In some cases, the colors were really off, so I went with something in between or which ever color I preferred.

I adore F&B paint, but some folks really can’t afford the price and/or their painter wants to use BM.

I certainly think that if one can swing it, it’s better to use F&B. One reason I did this was because there was a chart floating around out there and it was really not accurate at all!

It was a fun exercise too!

OH! While i have you here. One of my wishes is that the F&B fan decks would actually FAN. The large chips stick together horribly, making it exceedingly difficult to find the colors. And the the thing that holds them together always breaks. A ring is a better way, I think as it’s far less likely to break.

So good to note. As color charts get old the printing definitely fades. You did an excellent job with your choices, don’t get me wrong! Excellent eye. But as far as other things go you’re right, F&B really is “unmatchable”.

When we mystery shop we do bring in actual paint for them to match and it comes close, but there is definitely a big difference, if it’s the color you fall in love with and not the finish, then go for it! Some companies can do a fairly good job.

I would love to look into that for you! Sometimes color fans may stick because they’re actual paint. They’re all painted on samples so sometimes they might stick if left in car, heat, etc. The binding is a UK based binding, (they do things a little differently there!) 😉 but definitely something to note! We value your input. Anything else you have questions or comments on please let us know!ReplyCancel

No, they were not left in a car or anywhere hot. They came that way right out of the box and it’s been at least two of them. Maybe they could put a finish on them so that they will be smoother and move more easily?

None of the card charts were more than a year old. The one color I recall being way off from its card mate was Churlish Green, but that one is a bit of a tough color.ReplyCancel

F&B Employee -July 25, 2016 - 6:06 PM

Interesting, I will definitely be mentioning this to the higher-ups if that’s alright with you! I believe a finish is put on them as well. But if you wanted to communicate further over email I would be more than happy to send you a new one! Or if you had any color charts you wanted us to check out we would love to see. It’s definitely worth reviewing. Our showroom email is [email protected] Thank you very much for your time. I hope you have a wonderful day. Will be referring this blog to my students!

First of all please test the color! I would recommend using the matte formulation in BM as that one is probably closest to Estate Emulsion.ReplyCancel

Lauren -July 12, 2016 - 11:36 AM

Hello Laurel,

Thank you so very much for this list! I was wondering if you have a match for Cromarty. I feel like I have looked over every Benjamin Moore paint color to try and match it. I just love the soft green-gray-blue of this color and think it would be perfect for our Master. I would love to know which BM you think matches as I must have overlooked something.ReplyCancel

Thank you so very much for taking the time to answer my questions so thoroughly. I really appreciate it so very much. I am going to the paint store today to get some paint chips and decide which sample to go with. Thank you! Thank you! I think our Farrow and Ball colors must be different because mine looks like a soft grey green color that sometimes goes blue. That soft grey green is what I am looking for for my Master. The Vale Mist color looks lovely and I will see about the other colors you suggested to.

On another note, I wanted to thank you so very much for your entire blog. I am a relatively new reader and yesterday found so much inspiration and help here. We just moved to a new state and a new house. The previous owner had some very unusual color choices- lot of dirty mauve pink tile, counters, wallpaper, toilets, etc all over the house and an aqua bathroom. Her husband was a painter and there must be fifty different shades of white on the walls. Needless, to say, we are painting everything. I was so inspired yesterday by your post on a Spring Palette. One of the paintings you posted (The Weeders) was just perfect inspiration for a color palette for our home and I really appreciate all your help and advice. Thank you so much!ReplyCancel

I’ll be updating the list within the next few weeks, hopefully.ReplyCancel

Mary -July 11, 2016 - 12:26 AM

Thanks so much for creating this chart – it’s extremely helpful! Do you have any suggestions about a match for F & B’s Shadow White?

Also, I have the large paint chips from the farrow and ball paint deck. I am having a whole house (interior) painted with farrow and ball colors. Do you think I’d get a closer match having the farrow and ball colors matched with the paint chips, or do you think I’d be better off selecting benjamin moore matches?ReplyCancel

Well… this is difficult to answer and the reason is that Farrow and Ball’s own chips vary from each other! At least they do in the little card samples. I also have the larger ones and am not sure about those, but since everything’s hand-done, they very well may differ.

Not every color here is a dead-on match because sometimes it wasn’t possible. When it wasn’t possible, I went with whatever was closest. In many cases, I preferred the BM color.

The other issue is that you need to test. Your colors very carefully.

I haven’t done the new colors yet and I believe Shadow White is one of them.

Also, the colors here are from the Farrow-Ball website. Someone chastised me for the colors not matching the real colors from this chart on his computer. haha. But what he didn’t realize is that these ARE the Farrow and Ball colors form their website and he’s right. Many of them are quite off from what they actually are.

I’m not a fan of computer matching. Again, you’ll have people–usually the dudes selling the paint who will say that it’s accurate.

It’s not a sure thing at all, in my experience.

The other thing is that some paint stores have the formulas for the P&L colors. So, you might check on that, too.ReplyCancel

Amber -July 3, 2016 - 10:25 AM

Hi Laurel,
This is a wonderful resource! Do you happen to have matches for the 9 new Farrow and Ball colors? Specifically looking for a Benjamin Moore match to Farrow and Ball’s Inchyra Blue.
Thanks!ReplyCancel

Went to BM and they said that they could not match color for Chappell Green as your numbers were a Canadian code. Here in California I can’t buy oil based paints except in quarts. Were your numbers Canadian or do I need to go to a different dealer???
Love your site and appreciate all your efforts.ReplyCancel

Thanks! I called Ganahl Lumber who also sells BM. No problem! They can mix a sample pot plus they have a paper chip sample. At the other paint store I was told that he would have to do an eye match as he didn’t have the formula. So glad that I went somewhere else.

This is amazing! Do you by any chance know the equivalent to Yeabridge Green? Need to tell my painter this week and I don’t think I have time to order the F&B color card and have it arrive in time to find one myself–I and my kitchen trim would be super grateful!ReplyCancel

Dear Laurel,
Thank you so very much for the link!
I love listening to your spot on comments and I get the very sincere feeling that you are a pretty happy person who has found your life’s calling and it is making me and a lot of others very happy!. A grateful fan!
SusanReplyCancel

I’m so glad that you’re enjoying the blog and very much appreciate your kind words! ReplyCancel

Jacinta -May 12, 2016 - 6:00 PM

You have been so helpful! Would you happen to have a possible match for Farrow and Ball’s Number 285 Cromarty? It is one of the colors introduced in February of this year.
Again, thank you for all your excellent advise!ReplyCancel

At some point, I’ll do an update and include the new colors.ReplyCancel

Mary -May 9, 2016 - 2:14 PM

Thanks so much for putting this together, I’m so glad there are people like you out there with an eye for color like this! Do you happen to know the matching BM color for F&B’s “Tallow”? Or does its absence from your list mean there isn’t a good match?ReplyCancel

Yes, Tallow is on the chart. There is another post which discusses the new colors. Anything else bothering you?ReplyCancel

Kate K. -May 2, 2016 - 10:28 AM

Can you please provide a match for the new F&B color Shadow White? Much appreciated. This is a great resource – thanks a million for making it.ReplyCancel

Michele -April 22, 2016 - 10:35 AM

Laurel – thanks so much for sharing this! It’s a brilliant way to help pare down the thousands of BM paint colors. For the first one, can you confirm which color it is? Maybe BM updated the numbers, as on the BM site Chantilly Lace is OC-65 and Pure White is OC-64.ReplyCancel

Oh, don’t get me started, Michele. This is one reason why I’m creating my curated paint collection, complete with trim colors. You can live quite nicely with only about 5% of them–tops! And duplicates. They actually have the audacity to put many of them right next to each other. The average person cannot tell the difference. I’ve put the SAME color but from two different fan decks side by side and sometimes there is more of a difference between the SAME color than there is from two “different” colors. Their aim is obviously to demean and confuse. lol

I guess I should be a little kinder since I’d like them to sponsor me— one day. I am going to be pursuing that in earnest after the paint collection comes out.ReplyCancel

Oh wait. I see what you mean. Yes, I must’ve been going cross eyed when I did this. Chantilly Lace is OC-65. Usually, the name is the right color. Although BM also has Cloud White and White Cloud. Nasty. lolReplyCancel

Michele -April 22, 2016 - 12:50 PM

Hi – Yes, BM colors and their numbering in the multitudinous decks are confouding. Just to make sure I’ve got it, which color would you peg as closest to FB All-White: Chantilly Lace OC-65 or Pure White OC-64? I have no eye for color so I truly appreciate the work you’ve done.ReplyCancel

Thanks. Many of the OC colors also have other numbers, usually in the color preview fan deck but some in the Classic Fan Deck. Just another way to confuse. It would be helpful if they would put both numbers on the chip or something. I just chose the one I came across, but yes, you are right. They are the same colors. This is another reason why I always put down both names and numbers.

There are definitely duplicates, as well. They don’t advertise them as such but when they created the “color preview” fan deck, they obviously took some of the classic colors with them and renamed them. Sneaky way to make us think it’s something different when it’s not! And then some are so close that the difference is insignificant.ReplyCancel

I’m sorry but can’t give out specific advice since there are so, so many variables. I will say that we did BM Abalone in a north facing bedroom and it was really lovely. It’s a warm gray with a touch of lavender. Really pretty and rich but still very neutral without being boring.ReplyCancel

Hayley -April 19, 2016 - 8:57 AM

Thanks for your help X

Eric -April 6, 2016 - 12:27 PM

Hello,
I am trying to find a way to match Farrow & Ball color “Strong and playful” at Home Depot, Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore. I did not see this color listed above, can you please help?
Thank you!
eReplyCancel

I use it too! I always cringe when I get a comment about this post. I’ve had a couple of nasty individuals crap all over me.

It’s not anything against F&B at all. I love the paint and a few of the colors are not easy to replicate. Hague Blue is one of them, although Newburg Green is very lovely and as close as I could get it. Hope you saw the note in the middle of the post about that boo boo.

But, my point in saying that was that not everyone can afford to spend $100 for a gallon of paint. Or, they don’t want to have to send away for it. Or their painter only works with Benjamin Moore. Lots of reasons. ReplyCancel

Susan Telfer -April 17, 2016 - 12:21 AM

Yes, I live in a small town on the west coast of Canada and we have Benjamin Moore in our town or the hardware store paint. I have to go to Vancouver to get Farrow and Ball (which I have done for a tiny bit of powder room wallpaper,) but as you say, it is too expensive for me and the local painters aren’t familiar with it.ReplyCancel

The Blue shades were the toughest ones, so be sure to see if it’s what you are looking for. You can also ask your paint store if they have a good match for the color. But this is a good starting point. Some of the colors are so close, I really could not tell the difference.

Then, the other interesting thing is that I had a couple of Farrow and Ball paint chip cards and some of their own colors didn’t match each OTHER! If that was the case, I chose one in between the two!ReplyCancel

Alice -March 16, 2016 - 10:41 PM

Hi, I was wondering if you knew the BM equivalents for F&B Worsted #284. Can’t seem to find it. Would super appreciate your input! This color conversion chart is AMAZZZING! THANKS!ReplyCancel

Thank you for letting me know about my boo boo Max. Really appreciate that! F-B is coming out with 9 new colors which will give me a chance to redo this and fix all of the mistakes!ReplyCancel

Dale -January 20, 2016 - 1:45 AM

I love this chart and yellowish walls. Your walls as seen in your decorating for CHristmas piece-are they on this chart? I really like it. I also like the Chardonnay and think it is close to what I want but it is almost 2AM and I can’t get to the store for a sample!

btw. I finally found the escutcheons similar to yours in the fantabulous kitchen. ThanksReplyCancel

Yes, that’s right. I’m still up too, but shutting down now. My wall color isn’t on there. It’s Hawthorne yellow HC-4. It might look different in that photo than it does in real life. I took the photo at night and because of glare it was practically pitch dark and that is taken without a flash! quite remarkable!

Great on the escutcheons! The ones like mine took me a while to find. I’m pretty sure I found them on ebay.ReplyCancel

DLe -January 20, 2016 - 9:23 AM

Found the escutcheons on eBay,too. They’re in NYC, probably just close to you. You might have found them while running around the city. But then again, that’s why we’re so addicted to using the Internet—easier on the feet (or gas mileage) lolReplyCancel

Hooray! I keep the running around Manhattan to a minimum. It’s exhausting! Especially in the winter!ReplyCancel

diana mclean -January 18, 2016 - 2:49 PM

Hi Laurel – Love your conversion from Farrow and Ball to Ben Moore.
There is one which needs to be corrected. Ben. Moore 1584 is pale smoke. (you have pale smoke as 1582) 1582 is deep river and is very dark.
I wish I could get the job naming paint colors. I.E. Washing machine pink, old floor yellow, faded black and on and on. It would add some humor but probably not sales.
Always look forward to reading your blog.ReplyCancel

oh blimey! good catch! thank you so much! One day soon, I’m going to need to redo this thing because there are already about 4 or 5 mistakes! I thought I was being so careful too!ReplyCancel

allie -January 1, 2016 - 3:21 PM

WOW…I just stumbled across this blog looking for the “right” color to go about my MONTEREY WHITE beadboard. It’s hard to find a very light neutral to go above it. Maybe CLUNCH, or SLIPPER SATIN might work?????? thanks…………ReplyCancel

Susan Lopez -December 4, 2015 - 10:09 AM

Thanks so much for this chart! I really appreciated your hard work in producing this.

I’m actually doing a reverse match. As most US blogs reference Benjamin Moore paints and I live in the south of France (where they are not available) this chart is very useful in finding colours which are available in Farrow and Ball.

I hope to find a colour for my bedroom which compliments an Isfahan rug I can’t seem to part with. I may be in need of a Skpe consultation if you do these for those of us who love your work in Europe.ReplyCancel

Hi Lauren, The only thing I can suggest is to get a sample of the color to see if you like it or not. One thing I’ve discovered is that the Farrow and Ball cards can be different from each other! Oh my! How can they do that to us!!!ReplyCancel

Sara Gaarde -October 24, 2015 - 8:50 AM

I have found that Benjamin Moore “Smoky Taupe” 983 is very close to Farrow and Ball “Elephant’s Breath.” In a room with white woodwork, a lot of cream, and black or deep red accents Smoky Taupe is beautiful.ReplyCancel

I so want Dimity on my walls, and possible Wimborne White on trim. Lots of walls, lots of trim, lots of $$$. Debating. I got samples at Chicago Merchandise Mart and love the colors and the flat finish. I’ll try the Benjamin Moore equivalents and see if I feel as thrilled. Whatever I decide to do with walls, I will surely spring for Farrow & Ball for our kitchen cabinets.

I’d say for anyone balking at the price, we’ve lived with a color for 11 years in several main rooms that I’ve never been happy with when it turns yellow-greenish in certain light daily. The walls feel like they’re seasick. I’m erasing all that! So, the cost spread over how many years of enjoyment of a home and good feelings — is it worth it?ReplyCancel

Hi Deb, It was actually a fun exercise. Please let me know how it goes!ReplyCancel

julie -October 8, 2015 - 11:53 AM

We have one tiny F&B store here in Dallas. Her walls are painted “Tallow” and they are beautiful. She lived in France and said “Tallow” is most popular there. Just an FYI. Will be pinning your chart to Pinterest. Thanks so much for taking the time to match all those colors. Love your blog!ReplyCancel

Dear Laurel, Sorry I’m late to this particular party, but here’s a thought or two. Terrific work by you for those who baulk at F&B prices. I agree, of course, with the commenters who say that they’d rather go for the expensive F&B “authentic” colours than the BM equivalents, for reasons I’ve mentioned before in a comment elsewhere. I confess that I’m surprised a UK reader should reject F&B on price grounds as it’s half the price there as compared to France and the US. But what I don’t understand is the (to me) huge quantities that are mentioned. Gallons of paint? As I work it out, a US gallon is just over 3.75 litres. Here in France, and in the UK, F&B paint (Estate Emulsion or Modern Emulsion) comes in 2.5 litre cans. I find one such can is plenty to do one of my main rooms (9-foot ceilings, floor area approx. 13 x 16 feet, and very deep 3-foot window & door recesses so no gain there) with 2 or more usually 3 coats. (I paint with a brush everywhere, including ceilings, no rollers for me as I detest the orange-peel finish which builds up when you use a roller.) Does everyone have enormous rooms?ReplyCancel

An average living room where I live is about 14 x 24 feet or so. Two of our gallons would definitely cover that with some left over. Rollers most likely use up more paint. That’s admirable that you use a brush. Painting is hard for me. I get dizzy (and nauseous) when I look up. I wish it was funny, but I’ve been at clients and because I had to look up, it happened!

Yes, it’s crazy! lol but it also serves as an advertisement of sorts. That’s the way of the internet and one of its good parts. And I really enjoyed putting it together. ReplyCancel

Nancy Mason -August 6, 2015 - 12:59 PM

Lauren,
You are a color (or should I say colour?) savant! I’ll never forget my dilemma when my decorator offered me a choice between “String” and “Cord” and left me to contemplate how expensive just the paint would be, not including the labor. How I wish I had had your Color Card!

Thank you so much! Being from Indiana, it’s definitely “color”. :]ReplyCancel

Sara Gaarde -August 4, 2015 - 11:53 AM

I’ve done two rooms at my home in FB paint, and it does look great. However, maybe not THAT great. $95 per gallon for the paint is only the beginning. The shipping charges are what is really outrageous. Two gallons of paint is $50 in shipping. Three gallons $65 in shipping, etc. On the plus side, FB gets the paint to you fast.ReplyCancel

BM is so ingrained where I live that F&B isn’t used that much. You can buy it in NYC but again, it’s not very convenient. I did have a client who used one of the colors in two rooms and have to say that it is very nice!ReplyCancel

Maureen Janda -August 3, 2015 - 7:35 PM

I’m grateful for two things: the wonderful color chart (lots of time and design experience needed to produce that), and – so that’s what the P in the middle of most of your photos was for! I had no idea, but then, I haven’t used Pinterest much, but may do more now.ReplyCancel

Well, I guess I should put a little note at the bottom of the posts, but if anyone clicks on it and has pinterest, it’ll take them to their pinterest page. If not, I imagine it takes them to pinterest anyway. Pinterest is fantastic!ReplyCancel

This is a gift! Thank you so much, I have been waiting for a long time to find something like this and you’ve done a fabulous job. I think you’ve met your charitable contributions for the year 😉ReplyCancel

Thank you so much! You are so generous and helpful. I pinned the chart with glee.

I love F & B colors (just as I love their wallpapers), but never have been able to convince a client to spend the money on imported paint. It’s a challenge to recreate the subtlety of their colors, but your chart will make it so much easier.

Yes, it was, but I actually enjoy that kind of thing. We had to do an exercise in design school where we were given a color and then had to create the exact match. I remember that I had a really hideous cold and felt like total crap. But it took my mind off of how miserable I was and was relaxing in a way.ReplyCancel

Thanks Leslie. It was a lot of work, but some of my other posts were actually a lot more exhausting to produce. I did the color matching over a number of days. The graphic did take a very long time, but I broke it down into pieces and then put all the pieces together!ReplyCancel

Debbie -August 3, 2015 - 2:35 AM

Oh! I forgot to say that the paint was extremely difficult to work with- it was like ink and getting a clean edge around the ceiling was quite a challenge. Maybe this is the nature of dark, very saturated paint? Or maybe it was the Behr Ultra? Although, I’ve never had this problem with lighter colors, using Behr, in the past.ReplyCancel

Debbie -August 3, 2015 - 2:15 AM

Hi Laurel,
Shortly after discovering your blog, I read your post about how dark paint colors can make a room appear larger. I was in the midst of stripping wall paper off of my very small entry hall (typical 1929, about 5 by 12 ft., small windows in round, heavy wooden front door, pained-glass inner door, and full-size mirror on coat closet door, which reflects some light. But essentially, a darkish space.) Well, I fell in love with the headline kitchen in Hague Blue (of course). So, before I had read your earlier warnings, not to get paint formulated from other companies, I purchased the computer formulation match from Behr… It’s actually a pretty good match (as far as I can tell from the picture I was trying to emulate.) It’s a tad darker, and is especially dark on the side with no natural light. But there’s a ton of white trim, including a built-in bench which I painted white, to get the effect of that kitchen. While I probably won’t chance it again, this time, my ignorance turned-out to be bliss. Thanks for this extremely helpful guide and for all of the others.ReplyCancel

I think I already wrote about this to someone else, but choosing a paint color from a photo is not a great idea. Actually, Hague Blue is VERY dark. What happens and I don’t know why, but most of the time dark colors photograph a lot lighter than they really are. So, it sounds like your Behr version of Hague is probably right on the $. It’s a cautionary warning. But in any case, I recommend testing what you have in the can before smearing it all over your walls and finding that they made a mistake. It’s rare, but it has happened at least 3 times to one of my clients.ReplyCancel

Oops, forgot to mention I painted my newly built home (8 yrs ago now) interior rooms completely with Benny Moore paint and their F&B formulas – in every case it was a perfect match. I used Regal in a Pearl finish because I like the way the light gives the slightest shimmer to the walls….my front door is painted Orangerie – still love the golden glow in the afternoon sun!
Love your blog…
Suzanne FortReplyCancel

Suzanne Fort -August 2, 2015 - 7:45 PM

Say it isn’t so! I can hardly believe you are just discovering this fantastic feature. Having lived and worked in design in Toronto, Canada, Farrow and Ball was readily available – LOVED their limited color range 12 years ago…but when we moved back to the States, I was devastated to find no one in my area carried F&B! Benjamin Moore to the rescue – their color computer has the color formulas in their databank and created perfect matches. The lovely paint finishes were a bonus! Each year F&B adds to their color range – to my delight! I now have 2 companies that I turn to for my color ranges: F&B and the BM Heritage colors.
I’m so happy to have found your blog. I have to say that you are a kindred design spirit!
Best!
Suzanne FortReplyCancel

Are you really a princess or is that a joke? It might be hard to see, but if you hover the image in the center where the red shades are is a stylized white-ish P. Just click on that and it should take you to your pinterest page. Otherwise, you can go to pinterest and download their pinterest thingy and then you will have your own pin it button to pin anything you like.ReplyCancel

Princess Constanza -March 17, 2016 - 3:39 AM

I adore you and your website. I appreciate your style and love your humor!ReplyCancel

Princess Constanza -March 17, 2016 - 3:30 AM

Thank you I will give it a try. This princess thing is no joke !ReplyCancel

KC -August 2, 2015 - 3:38 PM

Laurel,
Thanks for the great chart of colors. We will soon be starting a DIY project of painting the interior trim using BM paint. For trim, do you think it is worth it to incur the extra expense of Aura?
Thanks.ReplyCancel

Thank you Laura! Love this post! I just painted my entire new home and had little time to view the colors on boards before painting began! I read your site extensively and settled on BM balboa mist for the majority of the home with horizon on the baths! Love them all! Thoughts on BM Charlotte Slate?ReplyCancel

Those are both two of my no fail colors. It’s difficult to go wrong as I think they both look lovely in different lights. I’ve never done Charlotte Slate but I took a look at it and it looks like a very handsome color. It’s an almost charcoal gray with a lot of blue and green in it. I could see it in a library, office or even a family room. If you use it, please let me know how it you like it. ReplyCancel

E -August 2, 2015 - 1:26 PM

Laurel, this is wonderful..I am always studying my F&B fan deck..but knowing the cost…geeezzz. You’ve done it again! Thanks for all the time that I do know went into this!. With greatest appreciation. EReplyCancel

Thanks so much E. I’m grateful that I’m at a point in my life where i have the time to do all of this!ReplyCancel

Christine Leary -August 2, 2015 - 12:42 PM

YOU have made my day, month, year with this gem! I only wish it had shown up BEFORE I mutilated my own Farrow & Ball card and went absolutely, embarrassingly crazy attempting to do this off the old chart.
Thank you for the hours of work this had to have taken. I love your blog and wish we could have wine together. Alas, I live in Denver, but if you are ever out here…my treat!!!ReplyCancel

Oh that is so sweet Christine! My perfectionism (about some things) came into play. Alas, I found the AWOL Williamsburg fan deck while cleaning a little while ago. And dang it all, but the two colors that I guess at are not acceptable. I need to put a note on there. There is nothing that looks like drawing room blue. All the BM colors are either too light, too dark or too saturated. But I found a better match for Stone Blue. Since I’m not that crazy about either of those colors, I guess I won’t stress it. (too much)ReplyCancel

liz -August 2, 2015 - 12:06 PM

Hello Lauren. I have only recently descovered your blog & I’m now hooked!
It’s quite fabulous & very inspiring. However, as I live in England, I’m not able to purchase Benjamin Moore paints & the Farral & Ball paints (unless a small project) are out of budget for most people. Can you tell me, are they similar to the Dulux range which are probably what the majority of us Brits use?.
Many thanks.. LizReplyCancel

Welcome and thank you! I’m sorry, but I don’t know anything about Dulux paint. My best advice would be to do a google search and see what other people are saying about the paint on forums and such. ReplyCancel

Teri -August 2, 2015 - 11:07 AM

I fell in love with that picture that appears everywhere of that dining room done in Chappell Green. I wanted it for my bedroom. I tried to match it without an actual color chip and came up with 2123-30 Sea Star. It didn’t look anything like Chappell, so I ordered Chappell. It didn’t look anything like it either. It came out a sickly forest green on my wall. The lighting in that dining room made it look blue, but I didn’t see any blue at all in the paint on my wall. I get it that paint looks different on different walls, but I still think they used some funny business on that dining room photo.ReplyCancel

This is a classic example of seeing a color in a magazine, falling in love with it, but the actual color looks nothing like it, in reality. I know the dining room and the color looks more like Theresa’s Green which is more of a classic aqua blue-green.

I find that digital photography makes images more blue and colors often photograph lighter than they are, so that explains why we see things the way we do.

The other interesting thing is the 2123-30 sea star looks like f&b oval room blue. I selected a csp color which is nearly identical to 2123-30. They do that a lot. Drives me nuts. ReplyCancel

Teri -August 2, 2015 - 5:12 PM

Yes, that Teresa’s Green looks a lot closer to what I was looking for. Lighter and bluer. I ended up going with Covington Gray out of frustration. It looks good, but I started out with a different vision. Every room in my house is some shade of gray and white, which is very much my style, but I was hoping for a little more color in the bedroom.ReplyCancel

Maureen -August 2, 2015 - 10:47 AM

Thanks for this Laurel, it will be very handy. My experience with both brands of paint is similar to Emilia’s. There really is no comparison to Farrow and Ball. I am a pensioner and have now painted my kitchen cabinets, the kitchen walls, a hallway, and 2 bedrooms with various Farrow and Ball paints. The rest of the house is still Ben Moore Aura but there is a remarkable difference. When friends come over, the only comments are about the walls painted with Farrow and Ball paints. It isn’t just the colour. There is something unfathomable about that paint. I choked on the price until I purchased a sample pot for about $9 Cdn, but after that I was sold. That paint completely covered my kitchen cabinets with hardly any prep, no primer, and it is holding up better than any other furniture I have painted with both BM and Annie Sloan. I am a convert for good.ReplyCancel

Thanks so much for your input. Someone on my FB page commented much the same as you and Emilia and then she said that recently, the formulations have changed and she’s not as happy with the paint. I have heard that before but don’t know if that’s the problem or what. ReplyCancel

Maureen -August 6, 2015 - 8:54 AM

I haven’t experienced any difficulties with Farrow and Ball. I painted my dark narrow hallway in FB Light Blue and it looks twice as big as before. ( Marie Killam’s post about a light colours in dark rooms) I have both BM Ivory White, and FB Clunch in various rooms and they are pretty much the same, however FB Dimpse, Mizzle and Light Blue have so much depth. BM Grey Tint really couldn’t do the Dimpse justice, it is just a fabulous colour. FB is what my husband wants in his bathroom now, so it’s another nearly 2 hour drive to get it! I will use BM in the grandkids room though, because of the price. I am really enjoying your blog, Thank you.ReplyCancel

Thanks so much for all of that. While I’ve done the F&B wallpapers dozens of times, the paint hardly at all. It’s a tough sell and I’m not as familiar with the colors. Well, that’s changing haha!ReplyCancel

Jo -August 2, 2015 - 9:55 AM

Hi Laurel,

Thanks for the post. I, too, am obsessed with paint colors! A couple of years ago I stumbled upon a GREAT WEBSITE that will covert named paint colors into their closest paint color by another manufacturer. They base the matches on the HEX codes of the paints and the actual chemical formula of the paint. The closer the paint colors come to the number 0, the closer the match. For example, if you type in “Glass Slipper” by BM, then Borrowed Light by FB is a fairly good match. However, if you do it the opposite way and look up matches for “Borrowed Light”, it will show BM “Green Cast” as a closer chemical match.

Thought I would share the site with you in case you don’t know about it. I have found it extremely helpful. Here it is:

Thank you so much for this very interesting comment and link! I think I have heard of that website but didn’t know what it was. I am going to look at it more closely now.

What is bothering me here is that the reverse look up showed a different color. I just checked it and the match is very poor and not in a good way either. I wonder if there are a lot of discrepancies like that?

One question I have is… How do they derive the HEX code. If it’s done by a computer, well… again, it’s a crap shoot. If the computer sees the color differently than our eyes do, then it won’t work. ReplyCancel

Emilia -August 2, 2015 - 9:21 AM

With deep gratitude and sincere admiration for what you have done for us regarding this post Laurel, I would like to respectfully add the following comment. That is – if you are lucky enough to be able to afford it; get the Farrow and Ball version. On two occasions I have painted the F&B version of a color alongside the BM version and the SW version. In both instances, my husband (a printer by trade-“color is my business” he humorously reminds me one in a while) quickly picked out the F&B version both times. Farrow and Ball has made me fall in love with grey. I have Ammonite and Purbeck stone in a tiny windowless guest bathroom. It is a divine little room. I tried BM Classic Grey in another project and had to paint over it; lovely but…..cold may be the best word. F&B Ammonite is not. Lastly, I have used BM Chantilly White but it does not Gleam or Glow like F&B All White. F&B All White is the most beautiful white paint that I have ever applied. It looks the same whether it is on the ceiling or on the bottom of a wall. I know that this company uses “minerals” in their formula. I still do not understand what this means. But what I do know is that this wall paint is Incomperable. There is something true and deep about it that I cannot describe. I am of Modest means and despite the fact that it demands its own primers and a minimum of two coats, I use F&B whenever I can. For wood, I do always use BM Impervo in oil or Fine Paint of Europe in oil. Thank you again for this chart. You have done us all a big favor and given us a wonderful paint education.ReplyCancel

I do agree with you based on what I’ve seen. Unfortunately, it hasn’t really caught on here as much even though I’m very close to NYC. F&B has done a stellar marketing job in the last few years as has Sherwin Williams. However, I do have a client who recently used “light blue” (really closer to sage green) but it has as you say an indescribable depth. It was used in two different rooms and it does look darker in the north facing room, but still very beautiful. Thank you too, for the recommendations.

I always used to specify BM impervo/oil until the draconian laws in NY came into being. oh well…ReplyCancel

Rose -August 2, 2015 - 9:09 AM

You are so very generous!! Yes, I can only imagine how long this project took! Thank you, thank you!!ReplyCancel

No, Thank you! I wish I could say that it was completely altruistic, but I can’t. Of course, there’s hopefully a benefit for my business goals as well.

What are my business goals? To be sitting on a warm beach with azure blue waters (under a canopy, of course since I’m so fair) with a delicious pink lemonade (extra fresh lemon), a bag of extra thin pretzels… the rest… I probably shouldn’t post… lolReplyCancel

I’ve never used the color but have only read great things about it. Thanks for sharing your experience!ReplyCancel

Dolores -August 2, 2015 - 6:56 AM

Thank you so very much ,Laurel!! You have no idea what a gift your chart will be for all of us who love the F&B paint colors. The only way for me to buy a gallon would be to lug it home from NYC to NJ- or order online. Not good options. So I bought the F&B color chart, and their two design books illustrating the various paints used. Based on that, I went off to BM to have them mix a gallon of the paint in AURA. Didn’t work at all- my gallon of paint was decidedly more yellow than the sample..
I still have the gallon of paint somewhere in the basement if you need to know the actual F&B color..ReplyCancel

I’m not surprised. Sounds like the “computer matched” the color which as you found out doesn’t work so well. I think it’s like the “color capture” experiment I did a few weeks ago.ReplyCancel

Shari -August 2, 2015 - 1:11 AM

Oops! Anyway once they were on the wall they were virtually identical. Thank you again.ReplyCancel

Shari -August 2, 2015 - 1:09 AM

Thank you for this! I can personally verify that Borrowed light and Glass slipper were impossible to tell apart in my powder room. I painted large white boards with each color and had one of my kids hang them with the name of the color hidden.ReplyCancel

You are officially my hero! I was just lamenting the limited availability of Farrow and Ball in my area to another designer on Wednesday! We can only order it online, and my painter prefers Benjamin Moore (just like you mentioned) so I always just stare at my F&B color card longingly. I’ve been dying to do a room in Hague Blue…ReplyCancel

Haha thanks! I forgot to mention that most of the time one has to order the paint online which is another drawback. They do have nice sample cards for sale, however. There is no exact match for Hague Blue. (unless it’s in theThe one that came the closest to my eye is the 1666, in the midnight hour. It is a little lighter than Hague, but Hague is very dark, so maybe it’s even better? I find that very dark colors often look considerably lighter in photos than they do in real life.ReplyCancel